


Breathe.

by tribridposie



Series: Breathe, Clementine. [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: AJ leaves, Clem dies, Clementine's a disaster, F/F, F/M, M/M, minnie and Violet date, sad fic, sorry - Freeform, suicidal clem, violet finds minnie, violet mourns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tribridposie/pseuds/tribridposie
Relationships: AJ | Alvin Jr. & Clementine (Walking Dead), Aasim/Ruby (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis/Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Minerva/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Breathe, Clementine. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821271
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Breathe.

* * *

  
“Fuck.”

Clementine swung down the axe, exposing the rotten insides of the walker’s head.

Sweat beaded her body, slowly dripping down, antagonizing the girl every second.

Lately, the brunette had been feeling off; _tired._

She was tired of the world. She was tired of the people in it. She was tired of surviving.

One little bite. That’s all it would take. One bite, two hours. It wouldn’t take long for her to stop breathing, the transition wouldn’t take long. Why couldn't she just give up? 

”Hey, you ready? It’s almost dinner time.”

Violet’s penetrating green eyes burned deep holes into Clementine. The intense gaze session lasted longer than they were comfortable with, but Clementine had no will to speak.

It had seemed like Violet wasn’t speaking any time soon either.

She chose to opt with a slight nod, lips pressed together and eyes averted to the trail of bodies she had left behind.

“Listen, Clementine. I just wanted to say tha-“

”We should be heading back now.”

The girl didn’t bother to wait for a response, anything Violet said was irrelevant to her.

She slung the heavy axe over her shoulders, gripping it with both hands, cold handle against her neck.

_One.  
_

_Breathe._

_Two.  
_  
_Breathe, Clementine._

_Three._

_Fucking breathe._

The nearby sound of a growling walker broke her concentration, making the girl take a deep breath. She had put so much effort into holding that last breath in, making her entire body feel drained of energy in a single second.

They had finally arrived at the big ominous gates of Ericson’s, a place Clementine hated with a burning passion.

An excited Willie waved at her, smile dying down at the glare he got in return.

_Fuck this place._

With clenched fists, Clementine walked into the courtyard, one full of hungry kids eye-ing Omar and his big pot full of stew.

”Ahh, Clementine. Our dear Clementine!”

Louis slung an arm around her waist, leading her towards the Admin building. 

“So me and Ruby were thinking. We’d really like it if we could host a little party y’know? To celebrate the life of Minnie and Sophie, twins who were lost and now found. We never really had one after the boat.”

His voice died down as he saw the emotionless eyes that belonged to a once bright girl.

”I know you weren’t really, okay after that night. With Minnie swooping in to steal Violet and y’know, AJ being lo-“

”You know what Louis? Do whatever the fuck you want. I’ll be in my room the whole goddamn time anyways, so go bother someone else with this bullshit.”   
  
With a snarl from the hostile girl, Louis stopped walking, letting her ascend the giant stairs alone.

”Yup. Got it.”

His smile was no longer visible, and Clementine had to admit that the sight did almost hurt her.

_Almost._

* * *

A knock. 

The first noise Clementine’s heard in a whole day.

A noise that doesn’t faze her at all.

There was something wrong with her.

She knew it. Everyone else knew it. AJ knew it.

The poor kid hadn’t been _lost_.

No, AJ made it out of that burning boat along with Clem. He had made it to shore. Where he got right up and started killing the walkers around him.

He had chosen to leave Clementine behind, who was coughing up water after spending several minutes in the water. At least a rib had been broken. No doubt about that.  
  
It hurt to _breathe._

_It hurt to breathe when AJ had looked at her with such rage, such pure, unfiltered rage._

_“James is dead! Because of you! You’re a... a monster! Just like everyone else. I don’t need you!” He had yelled, and yes, it had most definitely hurt to breathe when he had abandoned her at the side of the water, pain running through the body._

“Clementine? It’s me, Sophie. I noticed you didn’t come by for dinner last night, or breakfast this morning. I brought you some stew.”

A knock came later, then another. And after that one didn’t work, _another_.

“I’ll just leave this for you.”

Footsteps walked away, only to stop and come back.

”Thank you. For saving me. For saving my sister. And, I know. I know it hurts, it hurts to see her with someone else.”

Clementine could only hear her own breathing afterwards, no more sweet voices belonging to rescued damsels.

She could hear the slight change in it every time she threatened to cry.

And after a long time holding in her broken self, she let go.

She let go of it all and let the tears fall and the screams out.

Tears for AJ.

Tears for Lee.

Tears for herself, who was no longer a person. Just a shell of who she was. 

* * *

It was nighttime. Maybe a little past 12, but who was counting?

Clementine dug the bloody axe out of the walkers head, eyes scanning the dark forest.

She treaded slowly, listening for any nearby rustling indicating life.

Her mind went to the first time Violet and Clementine had gone fishing with Brody.

That day was one of Clementine’s favorite memories.

A lone tear makes its way down Clementine’s cheek, taking it’s sweet time to drop onto the cold, hard ground. 

She cant even recognize herself anymore. Who has she become? 

The Clementine she knew was strong and capable, independent. She didn’t need anyone. And now? God, look at this mess.

“Save the last bullet for yourself, right?”

A dry chuckle follows suit, along with the clicking of a bullet in its place. 

She raises the gun slowly, breathing in pace with every tear that falls from her pretty, golden eyes.

It was in between two trees marked with a bright ‘X’ that Clementine pulled the trigger.   
  
It doesn’t take long for the shot to ring out and alert the sleeping kids of Ericsons.

It doesn’t take much longer to realize Clementine’s absence.

Though it does take the young kids half a day to find the rotting corpse of their friend.

* * *

The sight was horrific. Louis hadn’t stopped vomiting from it yet, the view of his mangled friend was horrible to the poor boy.   
  
Violet never felt so numb, every touch from Minerva lost to her.

Sophie’s sobs were like white noise to the blonde.

Clementine’s body laid indistinguishable, guts pulled from her stomach, skin ripped apart. Dirty clothes soaked in dark red blood, a once nice hat adorning Clementine’s head splattered with brain matter. 

An unloaded gun in her cold hand. A golden bullet in her head.

“God, fuck. Oh my god.”

Violet fell to her knees, hands grabbing at her ex-girlfriend’s fingers.

”Clem? Wake up.”

”Please.”

She violently rocked the limp body, letting the blood pool around her knees.

”God, what the fuck. Clem.”

She pulled at her face, slapped it, pinched it, hoping anything could wake the girl from her deep slumber.

”She’s fucking dead, Vi!” 

Aasim pulled at a sobbing Violet, only to be greeted by a hard swab to the face. He fell back, getting a clear view of how destroyed his friend’s body was.

”Clementine.”

Louis sat next to the dead girl, pulling her body onto him. He caressed her face, like it would somehow bring her back.

”We need to go back to the school. Ruby and Tenn are waiting for us.”

Minerva’s cold eyes looked around her grieving schoolmates. She didn’t understand how they could risk themselves like this for a girl they had known for half a year.

”Fuck you.”   
  
Willie aggressively wipes his bloodshot eyes, staring down the redhead.

”She was our fucking friend!”  
  
”She’s dead!”

”You wanna see fucking dead!?”

Aasim had to hold back the raging boy, preventing him from attacking the rude girl.

”Our friend just fucking died. Can you show some compassion?”

Glares were headed in her direction, making the tall teenager feel uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gazes.

“One hour.”

* * *


End file.
